Lycopene, with a molecular formula of C40H56 and molecular weight of 536.85, has a molecular structure shown below.

It is a carotenoid and the major target organs and tissues of lycopene in the human body are testis, prostate, liver and intestines. It is found to reduce incidence of prostatic carcinoma, metrocarcinoma, and pancreatic carcinoma more effectively than β-carotene (Giovannucci E., 1999, Gann P. H., 1999). As early as 1989, lycopene has been found to have the highest activity in quenching oxygen-singlet among all carotenoids including β-carotene (Di Mascio P.). The anti-oxidative activity of lycopene is found to be about 3.2-fold of that of β-carotene, and 100 times of that of vitamin E. Applied orally and absorbed through the intestinal tract, lycopene quenches free-radicals and thus protects tissues, cells, and DNA from oxidation by the free-radicals.
Previous studies have revealed a number of functions of lycopene: anti-ageing, enhancing immune health, reducing risk of cardiovascular diseases and incidence of malignancies, especially oral, throat, gastric, colon and uterus carcinomas. A meta-analysis carried out at Harvard University including 47,000 participants over a period of 6 years found that the incidence of prostatic carcinoma was over 30% lower in the lycopene group (Giovannucci, E., 1995). Furthermore, clinical trials revealed activity of lycopene in suppressing tumor growth and metastasis, especially effective for pancreatic, lung and gastric carcinomas (Giovannucci E., 1999; Gann R. H., 1999)
Because of its multiple beneficial effects, lycopene is now recognized as a star healthy food supplements in the 21st century and is gaining in popularity world-wide. Especially in developed countries including the U.S., Western Europe, Japan and Israel, huge wealth and efforts have been invested in related researches and in development of lycopene-containing drugs, food supplements, foods and cosmetics since 1990.
Resveratrol, with a molecular formula C14H12O3 and a molecular weight of 228.25, is a terpenoid which is mainly contained in grape skin, peanut, pineapple and knotweed rhizome. This compound appears as an insipidity white crystal powder, slightly soluble in water but soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and acetone. The structural formula of resveratrol is shown below.

Resveratrol is known as an antioxidant, and has been found to decrease blood viscidity, suppress platelet-coagulation, enhance vasodilation and thus promote blood circulation. Because of its hypolipidemic feature, resveratrol plays an important role in preventing atherosclerosis and ischemic heart diseases. Resveratrol also has antineoplastic effect and is a natural substitute of estrogen. Further functionalities of resveratrol include anti-ageing effect, preventing oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, anti-inflammation and anti-allergic effect.
The main application of resveratrol is directed to acute infectious hepatitis, menostasis, rheumatism, bone and muscle pain, bronchitis, cholecystolithiasis, hypercholesterol and hypertriglyceride condition. The major target organs and tissues of resveratrol in human body are heart, blood vessels and skins.
There exist a number of patents either one of lycopene and resveratrol as the essential compound with optionally the other compound, or with both compounds in specific range of ratios which are claimed to be therapeutic for various ailments. New Zealand Patent No. 526350 (al-Shakarchi) disclosed lycopene in 0.1-2% w/v and resveratrol in 0.05-1.5% w/v in a preferred combination of a main complex composition which comprises metal salts, amino acids, amino alcohol and vitamin B complex. The lycopene: resveratrol disclosed is in the range of 1:15-40:1.
In U.S. patent publication No. 2008/0262081 (Raederstorff) lycopene with resveratrol is disclosed for anti-aging effect in form of a dietary supplement in wide-ranging ratios from about 1:1430-24:1. International patent publication No. WO 07131767 (DSM) discloses combination of lycopene and genistein for therapy of prostate carcinoma wherein in one of the embodiments resveratrol is preferably added such that lycopene: resveratrol range is about 1:2 to 1:3¾.
In International patent publication No. WO 2004/000043 (Perani) a food supplement is disclosed with both lycopene and resveratrol as antioxidants at 1:1 ratio. Another publication No. WO 2005/107729 (Kang) disclosed a skin disorder therapeutic composition comprising lycopene plus optionally resveratrol at a ratio of about 4:1.
Most commercially available preparations contain extracted lycopene as crystals which are water-insoluble and can not be efficiently absorbed in human intestinal tract. Natural lycopene is sourced from intracellular microsomes of plant cells and is similarly difficult to be absorbed directly by human body through oral intake, a problem not addressed by the prior art.
While the prior art also made wide therapeutic claims which have largely been speculative, our present invention endeavours to disclose certain combination ratios of lycopene to resveratrol for therapeutic use in specific ailments including arthritis, carcinoma generally and melanoma specifically, and in mitigating hyperlipoidemia.